Various end fittings for brake cable assemblies, such as those utilized in automotive park brake applications, have been developed that enable the ends of the conduit to be secured to support structure, i.e., a mounting bracket, of the vehicle upon inserting the end fitting through a preformed aperture in the support structure. Such end fittings typically include an inner seal body member for wipingly engaging the end of the core element extending from the end of the conduit. The seal body member is housed within a snap-in fastening component typically fabricated of metal, which in turn is secured to the conduit by crimping or otherwise deforming the connector around the outer sheath of the conduit.
Inherently, the metal components are subject to corrosion and in the case of the snap-in fastening portion, it is sometimes difficult to control the physical properties of the material such that an unacceptable variation in the force required to insert the end fining through the aperture can occur. The crimping of the metal connector about the conduit also is problematic in that it can damage an inner liner of the conduit and inhibit smooth operation of the core element therein and further can destroy or greatly limit the effectiveness of any protective coatings that may have been applied to the connector and cable for corrosion protection.
The prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,149 to Heimann, issued Dec. 8, 1981, discloses a plastic end fitting whose connector is preformed apart from the conduit and then engaged with an interference fit about the conduit. Although the plastic material is lighter in weight than the aforementioned metal components and is less susceptible to corrosion, the Heimann fitting is structurally weak.